The next Xbox: Always online, no second-hand games, 50GB Blu-ray discs and new Kinect

I don't believe this $#@! but here it is....

Microsoft’s next console will require an Internet connection in order to function, ruling out a second-hand game market for the platform. A new iteration of Xbox Live will be an integral part of Microsoft’s next console, while improved Kinect hardware will also ship alongside the unit.

Sources with first-hand experience of Microsoft’s next generation console have told us that although the next Xbox will be absolutely committed to online functionality, games will still be made available to purchase in physical form. Next Xbox games will be manufactured on 50GB-capacity Blu-ray discs, Microsoft having conceded defeat to Sony following its ill-fated backing of the HD-DVD format. It is believed that games purchased on disc will ship with activation codes, and will have no value beyond the initial user.

Our source has also confirmed that the next Xbox’s recently rumoured specs are entirely accurate. That means an AMD eight-core x64 1.6GHz CPU, a D3D11.x 800MHz graphics solution and 8GB of DDR3 RAM. As of now, the console’s hard drive capacity is said to be undecided, but Microsoft’s extended commitment to online delivery suggests that it will be the largest unit it has put inside a console to date.

Though the architectures of the next-gen Xbox and PlayStation both resemble that of PCs, several development sources have told us that Sony’s solution is preferable when it comes to leveraging power. Studios working with the next-gen Xbox are currently being forced to work with only approved development libraries, while Sony is encouraging coders to get closer to the metal of its box. Furthermore, the operating system overhead of Microsoft’s next console is more oppressive than Sony’s equivalent, giving the PlayStation-badged unit another advantage.

Unlike Nintendo, Microsoft is continuing to invest heavily in motion-control interfaces, and a new, more reliably responsive Kinect will also ship alongside the next Xbox. Sony’s next-generation console camera system is said to have a similar set of features, and is expected to be discussed at the company’s PlayStation event on February 20.

You can read more about how Sony’s next generation console compares in last week’s story, PlayStation 4 revealed.

But seriously, I just can't believe this. They can't be so silly to do such a thing. They are going to lose out on millions of customers. The backlash of people returning their systems would hit them way too hard. The gaming market isn't going to magically see a rise in profits from this either. People will gladly wait for these games to bomb in sales and buy when there's a price drop.

I hope this is not true and I hope sony doesn't get any "clever" ideas and want to team up on the used game market by following MS steps.

But seriously, I just can't believe this. They can't be so silly to do such a thing. They are going to lose out on millions of customers. The backlash of people returning their systems would hit them way too hard. The gaming market isn't going to magically see a rise in profits from this either. People will gladly wait for these games to bomb in sales and buy when there's a price drop.
I hope this is not true and I hope sony doesn't get any "clever" ideas and want to team up on the used game market by following MS steps.

must be really.

can't imagine MS implementing this without learning from developers that sony was planning the same thing. would be suicide.

Always online systems never work Ubisoft tried it for PC and it failed miserably.

Ubisoft’s DRM had previously meant that you could not launch games without an internet connection, and if your connection dropped at any point the game you were playing would instantly stop, often losing progress you may have made. It was widely derided, and the bane of many gamers, but Ubisoft seemed defiant in response. Until now. Clarifying the new position, Perotti summarises it, using Assassin’s Creed III as an example.

I think IF this is true about always on-line and no resale of games ( the latter i believe SONY may also do, publishers will make sure of it I bet) it will be annoying and stop me getting the console any time soon and with the focus on Kinect just makes me even less happy.

WITH THE ADDED part of how MS are more oppressive and not as open so to say can be very bad for them and could hurt them.

Basically before this it was like this ( i wanted, 10 being the highest)

ps4: 8/10

nextbox: 6/10

NOW its:

PS4: 8/10

Nextbox: 4/10.

I think the always online is something i can maybe get over if done well, no used games will be annoying. If this is true THEN games better be much cheaper on average like we see on the PC.

I really can't see either of them doing this and alienating so many gaming outlets, it would pretty much crush Gamestop and other smaller and similar companies! If they do implement this, maybe they will just disallow reselling games for x amount of days, so maybe after 6 months, etc. they will allow them to be resold? And if they do, they better lower the price of the games when initially released and make them a lot cheaper as time goes on...but like Ixion said, every other industry is still on the second-hand market and it would be stupid for them to do this!

The sad thing is I think they could get away with it. I think only hardcore gamers would really understand and care about it. Everyone else would just buy the thing without prior knowledge and probably wouldn't care much anyway.

Far as I'm concerned though it's a deal breaker if there's any truth to it. If Sony do something similar then they can also $#@! off.

It is believed that games purchased on disc will ship with activation codes, and will have no value beyond the initial user.

So like PC games?

As much as a $#@! this this actually is, I somehow think the 'hardcore' Xbox'ers wouldn't give a $#@!. Lol

If MS is going through with this then so are Sony as far as I'm concerned. Afterall, they introduced online passes on 1st party games, MS has yet to do so

We'll see, we'll see...

Edit: I read it again. Yeah I don't buy this $#@!. Always online? Yeah..no. I'm gonna assume the activation code is specifically to play online, so basically an online pass.

The amount of markets they'd freeze out by requiring you to be always online would not be worth it at all. Maybe a gimped to $#@! console without an internet connection, but it would not be a requirement

Since I only download games now (only get the disc if it's not available to download, next gen it should be mandatory like Vita), the used games thing doesn't bother me, but online only is a deal breaker, I hope neither do this. I remember when Capcom did it with a few of their PSN games (I know Bionic Commando Rearmed 2 did) and it flopped IIRC mainly because of that, not sure if Capcom are still doing it but yeah, it's the most bull$#@! thing ever, even moreso than DLC being on the disc (another of Capcoms favorites).

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